When asked if Davis and White were the best at their craft, Zoueva -- who also coaches Davis and White's main rivals, world and Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir -- demurred.

"It is very hard to say who is best because figure skating is 50 percent sport, 50 percent art," she said. "And the 50 percent art, you can't say exactly. People are different; it is subjective. But definitely, for [an] audience who love the style that Meryl and Charlie represent, they are the best."

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I like this quote from Marina Zoueva, i think she wasn't being politically correct as the reporter makes it sound she was, and besides what she says is only the truth. Davis/White have many good qualities and it's understandable if some think of them as the best. Their new program is not bad (much better than the one they had last year) and their performance is enjoyable, even though I have some reserve about the final part, it&#8217;s quite noisy and kitschy. As far as I remember, the musical is not like that, it&#8217;s tear-jerking, perhaps, but not in bad taste. Tessa and Scott creates real art with their FD, but let&#8217;s not forget that a skating competition, normally, is not about art but about an "artistic impression", which is very different. I expect the judges to mark the ice dancers according to the COP rules, nothing more. A competition is based on rules, so it&#8217;s something very very far from the idea of artistic freedom. If you want artistic freedom, search it in art galleries, etc.

What do you expect, for Zoueva to go to the US Nationals and say V&M are the best? If anyone should be concerned, it's the Shibutanis:

Zoueva shrugged off the result.

"Second, third, whatever," she said. "We have lots of stuff to put in the program, even for the next competition. I am real happy with how they did. We have lots of deductions; if they have no deductions, they are second. I will fix."

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If she likes deductions so much she must have been thrilled after Canadian Nationals.

Marina basically said that for people who go for the style D-W represent, yeah, sure they are the best. Well said. I also loved that she mentioned that dance is 50% sport and 50% art and art is subjective. Look, whether she's pro-VM or not, I do not care and it doesn't matter. These skaters are adults and they know what they have to do. V-M have two fantastic programs, if skated to their potential, they're unbeatable.

Did anyone record the nats gala? I forgot to watch it, and I'd love to see them doing Gangnam style haha.

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I was there, and have it recorded from TV. Most of the Gala was shown, on TV except for the performance by the Nexxice syncro group and Patrick Chan's ending speech. Unfortunately, CTV showed the commentators talking through almost all of the finally where the skaters take turns doing lifts and jumps and spins. CTV did the same last year.

Being there, I recall Tessa and Scott getting a cheer while performing their traditional Goose lift. However I don't recall actually seeing them dancing to the Gangnam Style song. They must have been at the opposite end of the rink. I reviewed my recording, and can vaguely see them in one view dancing with the group to a different song, but not the Gangnam Style (I think).

Marina basically said that for people who go for the style D-W represent, yeah, sure they are the best. Well said. I also loved that she mentioned that dance is 50% sport and 50% art and art is subjective. Look, whether she's pro-VM or not, I do not care and it doesn't matter. These skaters are adults and they know what they have to do. V-M have two fantastic programs, if skated to their potential, they're unbeatable.

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Well said, Golightly.

Only two more weeks till 4CC. Whether you love or hate D/W and V/M, you have to love the rivalry and the excitement of seeing them go head-to-head against each other.

I was at practice for the gala and the FD for the dancer hadn't taken place yet. The Gangnam music started off for the men who were to meet at centre ice. Once the first four of them "did their thing", everyone then got into the "horse-riding" stuff (at least that's what I call it). I chuckled a fair bit at Patrick's attempt to emulate how well E-man was doing it but to no avail. I am thinking that since the dancers weren't at practice, perhaps they didn't go any Gangnam? Just a thought, no real basis for such a leap. Maybe someone who stayed for the actual gala might know. I tried to watch the gala on YT but the person who had done up that video was following Kevin Reynolds for the most part.

I was at practice for the gala and the FD for the dancer hadn't taken place yet. The Gangnam music started off for the men who were to meet at centre ice. Once the first four of them "did their thing", everyone then got into the "horse-riding" stuff (at least that's what I call it). I chuckled a fair bit at Patrick's attempt to emulate how well E-man was doing it but to no avail. I am thinking that since the dancers weren't at practice, perhaps they didn't go any Gangnam? Just a thought, no real basis for such a leap. Maybe someone who stayed for the actual gala might know. I tried to watch the gala on YT but the person who had done up that video was following Kevin Reynolds for the most part.

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Thank you for report
I wish Tessa and Scott will dance Gangam in exibitions. Maybe with Yu-Na

I was at practice for the gala and the FD for the dancer hadn't taken place yet. The Gangnam music started off for the men who were to meet at centre ice. Once the first four of them "did their thing", everyone then got into the "horse-riding" stuff (at least that's what I call it). I chuckled a fair bit at Patrick's attempt to emulate how well E-man was doing it but to no avail. I am thinking that since the dancers weren't at practice, perhaps they didn't go any Gangnam? Just a thought, no real basis for such a leap. Maybe someone who stayed for the actual gala might know. I tried to watch the gala on YT but the person who had done up that video was following Kevin Reynolds for the most part.

Well, Virtue/Moir are retiring after 2014 Olympics, Pechalat/Bourzat too... But what about Davis/White? I know this is Virtue/Moir thread, but anyways...
OMG, if they'll stay, they'll get all firsts in all the competitions with NO fighting for them, not like all those years. I think that would be idiotic for them to stay. What do you guys think?

Well, Virtue/Moir are retiring after 2014 Olympics, Pechalat/Bourzat too... But what about Davis/White? I know this is Virtue/Moir thread, but anyways...
OMG, if they'll stay, they'll get all firsts in all the competitions with NO fighting for them, not like all those years. I think that would be idiotic for them to stay. What do you guys think?

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Russia have strong ice dance teams, who even could compete with Canton teams at 2014 OG.

I like this quote from Marina Zoueva, i think she wasn't being politically correct as the reporter makes it sound she was, and besides what she says is only the truth. Davis/White have many good qualities and it's understandable if some think of them as the best. Their new program is not bad (much better than the one they had last year) and their performance is enjoyable, even though I have some reserve about the final part, it&#8217;s quite noisy and kitschy. As far as I remember, the musical is not like that, it&#8217;s tear-jerking, perhaps, but not in bad taste. Tessa and Scott creates real art with their FD, but let&#8217;s not forget that a skating competition, normally, is not about art but about an "artistic impression", which is very different. I expect the judges to mark the ice dancers according to the COP rules, nothing more. A competition is based on rules, so it&#8217;s something very very far from the idea of artistic freedom. If you want artistic freedom, search it in art galleries, etc.

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I don't know if it is so much about artistic freedom, as it is the direction the ISU wants ice dance to go. Sort of like pairs in the G/G and M/D era. What is your vision of pairs skating? "Two skating as one" or feats of strength and athletic drama? Both are valid, but the ISU made a choice at the 94 Games.

Yes, of course, Bobrova/Soloviev and Ilinykh/Katsalapov are strong teams, but I think that no one will stay close to V/M and D/W performances.
Or maybe that's just my opinion...

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Of course, no one will be like them. But especially Ilinykh/Katsalapov are such good skaters, that with more improvement and better programs they could be at that level sometime in the future - at least technically. But I guess for that to happen they must "grow up" even more (I mean, in their thinking and attitude, not physically).

I only know, that when one champions will retire, we will have new champions. This is life Even after T-D retirement the World stay the same.

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What a good words.
But such a tragedy for me, because I am newie in figure skating world. I've watched it since i was a little girl, but I started to understand the meaning of it only about a ~1,5 years ago.
I am teenager actually - I'm just starting to understand, what the life really is. And so the figure skating - for now it's not only beautiful dresses all around and just good skating, what it was some years ago, but for now it's a feeling. Somehow, I started to feel something about this sport and I think I'm such a dumb that I didn't notice that feel earlier. (But I was just a kid, so )

Anyways, when I started to read this and other forums, I understood, that I'm not the only one what has that feel.

Lets hope T-S will be remembered after there retirement and they will leave something special in ice dance.

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ofc they will be remembered
they're in the record books for being the youngest ice dance team to win the olympics and the first north american/canadian team to win gold etc. they will always be remembered and talked about just like t/d a/p